Flexible conduit connection



I. cowLES June 21, 1938.

FLEXIBLE CONDUIT' CONNECTION Filed Sept. 16, 1936 lation to the coupling elements to complete a of the annular groove 5. 10

conduit structure possessing certain advanta- The said shell 9 is also equipped with a thread geous characteristics hereinafter particularly formation II which extendssubstantially from pointed out. Y the mouth end portion 12 of said shell to a Ihe present invention relates also to the point contiguous to but spaced from the flange methodof effecting assembly of a structure of III. The said thread formation II is of rela- 15 the type above indicated. y' tively steep pitch so that-it is adapted to receive The conduit structure and the method of makand engage a wire helix i3, as shown. The helix ing the same are illustrated in the accompany- I3 is of less length than the said thread formation ing drawing, wherein: ll of the coupling shell.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view comprising a The coupling of the present invention is par- 50 s1de elevation showing a stem of the body memticularly designed and adapted for engagement ber of a coupling and a central longitudinal with the type of'flexible conduit or hose, the

a sectional view of a coupling shell, a hose end wall of which is equipped with one or more anportion, and flexible means within the coupling nular reinforcing sleeves composed generally of for engaging the hose end portion, all constructbraided wire. In the instance illustrated, the ed in accordance with the invention, and showhose or conduit I4 is equipped between the inner' e sa d esp t ve parts m their relative initial tube iii, of rubber, and its outer jacket or wall positions prior to eifecting assembly thereof. portion, with a plurality of said reinforcing Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view sheaves as shown in Figs 1, z and 3,

showing the respective parts of the ultimate con-. The outer jacket, f t hose d 14 1 t 80 'du structure i p in the next u di annularly radially down to the outermost of said, relative positions constituting afurther step in reinfor in sleeve 3 thereof at a point, paced the method of this inventmnappreciably from an extremity of the hose end,

3 illustrates respective elements as the portion of said jacket between said annular shown in 2 in final assembled la incision and the extremity of said hose being.- ea'ch other" peeled oil so as to expose the outermost of said 4 is fragmentary l m n of the reinforcing sleeves l6, and also to provide an coupling'body taken on'the hne of annular shoulder H at one end of the said Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional'view of the exposed portion coiIiplmg boidy takientton the use 5-5 of F The operation of removing this portion of the n carry ng Du e nven I provide a jacket of the hose is commonly termed sklvlng" coupling body I, which, in the instance illustherefore the said end portion will be retrated, is equipped with a hexagonal end porf d t h l m m d d n 1 tion 2; an internal thread 3, a central stem 4, erre eren as e 8 ve en For on and an annular groove 5 adjacent one end therethe hose 6f bordered by an annular flange 5 and an The said shoulder I1 is spaced from the exannular Shoulder tremlty of the hose a distance appreciably less The Side walls of the groove 5 e flared as than the length of the coupling shell 9 and said shown clearly by Figs. 2 and v3, except at two skiveFl end 15 of appreciably smaller j diametrically opposite areas 8', shown in Fig 5 ameter than the inner diameter of said coupling where said side walls are rendered parallel with Shell 1 each other and with a vertical plane perpen- The gauge of the wire 'of which the helix l3 dicular t'olthe longitudinal axes of the coupling is composed is such that said helix, when enbody. gaged. in the thread formation llof the shell 9, will proje inner surface V Patented June 21, 1938 2,121,624 FLEXIBLE CONDUIT CONNECTION Irving 'Cowles, Detroit, Mich, 'a sslgnor to. himself and R. W. Lotz Chicago, 111., as cotrustees Application September 16, 1936, Serial No. 101,091 r 3 Claims. (Cl. 285-44) equipped at one end with an inwardly projecting annular flange Ill having side walls extending parallel witha vertical plane extending perpendicularly aid shell and the inner diameter of which is substantially equal to the outerdiameter of the flange 6 and which is adapted to pass telescopically over the latter. The width of the flange I0 is substantially equal to, but no larger than that of the mout The object of'the present invention is to provide flexible conduits for high pressure use, composed substantially of three normally and initially dis-assembled members which primarily are disposed in partly assembled relative positions and in primary engagement with an end portionof a hose, and which, thereafter, are forced into final assembled relation for permanently engaging the hose end in fluid-tight re- There is also "provided a coupling shell 9 ct inwardly from the of said shell 9 sufficiently to practically snugly fit the skived end portion of said hose end.

In effecting assembly of the several aforesaid elements, the helix I3 is first mounted upon the skived end portion of the hose with one end of the helix disposed in contact with the said annular shoulder ll. Said helix is appreciably shorter than said skived end portion.

After said helix has been disposed upon the skived end portion of the hose, it is threaded into engagement with the threads of the shell ,9 simultaneously with the insertion of the hose end into said shell until the hose end and helix shall attain substantially the position shown in Fig. 1.

. expanding said hose end appreciably and thus torted to flt snugly the fiared also effecting an appreciable shortening of the latter.

This shortening permits the flange 6 to attain the position within the shell shown in Fig. 2 and causes the extremity of the hose to abut the annular shoulder I 8 at the inner end of the stem 4.

The coupling shell 9, while disposed in the position shown in Fig. 2, is contacted progressively from its mouth l2 over'its entire length to decrease its diameter to the extent necessary to cause the cylindrical face of the flange 6 to engage the inner cylindrical face of the shell '9 and force the flange ID of the shell I into the groove 5 of the coupling body.

This contraction is effected by forcing the shell through the flared opening of a suitable die, such as is illustrated and described in Letters Patent No. 1,752,976, the opening whereof is of the maximum diameter equal to the desired reduced outer diameter of the shell. The force employed is sufficient to cause the said flange ID to be disportion of the annular groove 5, while said flange I will normally engage the flat surface portions 8 of the groove shown in Ffig. 5, the latter cooperating with said portions of the flange l0 engaged therein to prevent all. relative rotation between the coupling body and the shell 9, said shell being also obviously held against longitudinal movement relatively to the coupling body.

The contraction of the sell throughout its length to the last-mentioned diameter effects a progressive contraction of the helix l3 from its outer end portion, where itabuts the shoulder I1 of the hose end. and such a progressive elongation of said helix so that as the latter becomes partially embedded in the reinforcing sleeves iii of the hose end, it also engages a greater length of the latter and of the thread formations ll of the shell 9.

Following the'initial contraction of the shell 9 as above described, the same is preferably still further contracted to its inner end thereby effecting elongation progressively of the helix I 3 which is then positioned as shown in Fig. 3.

' Themouth portion of the shell 5 is flared as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and, 3 and, preferably,

portion, as shown in Fig. 8,

the thread formation I I is cut through the flared portion wherein it vanishes.

As much of the thread formation as lies within .the' flared portion of the mouth of the shell 75* serves merely to engage the rubber outer jacket of wire of a within a hose contraction causes progressively from its moutha still further contraction and of the hose, but is ineffective to prevent Withdrawal of the hose end from the coupling.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that variations in diameter of the reinforcing sleeves of the hose will be easily compensated for by employment of helices l3 composed gauge adapted to compensate for the same.

The advantages incident to the present structure are first, avoidance of distortion of the helix, and second, gradual partial embedding into the reinforcing sleeves l6 of the skived end portion of the hose while at the same time the inner tube I 5 of the hose is compressed gradually and always toward its inner extremity. This causes the soft material of which the inner tube is composed, together -with such soft displace'able material as may lie between the several sleeves IE, to build up a very compact seal against the shoulder l8 of the body member, it being obvious further, that the cross sectional shape of the wire of the helix I3 is such as to preclude cutting through the reinforcing sleeve IS. The distortion of the latter effected by partial embedding of the helix I3 into the same prevents all possibility of the hose end being forced or pulled out ofv the coupling shell after permanent assembly has been effected as hereinbefore described.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hose coupling comprising a body member. a cylindrical contractible shll equipped with an internal thread formation, a helical wire member of less length than that of said thread formation disposed within said shelland in engagement with said thread formation, throughout substantially all except the innermost end portion of the latter and adapted to embrace a hose end projecting into said shell to greater depth than said wire member to be permanently engaged with said coupling, the said shell adapted to be contracted progressively from its mouth to its inner end portion thereby to progressively contract said wire member into firm engagement with the hose end and progressively elongate. said wire member from its outer to its inner extremities during said progressive contraction of the hose and cause the latter to engagea correspondingly greater length of said'hose end portion lying within said she'll.

2. A-hose coupling comprising a bodymember equipped with a central stemforengagement receiving the hose end, said shellequipped in ternally 'witha thread formation extending substantially from its mouth to its innermost end thread formation snugly same from the front end point adjacent its rear end and adapted to embrace said hose end, whereby upon contracting said shell progressively from its mouth to-its engaged within the rear end portion, said helix-will be contracted the accomplishment of itsv end and a contractible shell for portion a wire helix of less length "than said portion thereof to a 10 to the initial inner diameter of said helix disa,1a1,oa4 4 v 3 its entire length, said shell equipped internally posed within the latter and said shell prior towith a thread formation extendin from its said contraction of, the latter whereby the wire mouth portion to a point adjacentthe coupling 7 helix is caused to become partially embedded in body, a wire helix of less length than said said hose end upon said contraction of said shell,. thread formation and of a diameter initially to the latter heing'further contracted from its fit said thread formation P ior to aid c n r r mouth portion to its inner end portion following tion of said shell and initially contracted and said initial contraction thereof thereby effecting elongated by contraction ofsaid shell, a hose endv additional contraction and elongation of said portion of an outer diameter substantially equal wire helix,

L IRVING COWLES. 10 

